The Hindu : Kerala News : Two Keralites die in accident near Belfast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

Two Keralites die in accident near Belfast

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Two engineering professionals from Kerala were killed when their car collided with a bus and another car at Larne, 32 km from Belfast in Northern Ireland, on Monday.

They were identified as Babu Joseph (36) and Mathew Varghese (44), both from Kottayam. Preparations were on to fly their bodies to India.

Both men were married and had children. They settled in Northern Ireland in 2000 and worked in a company called F.G.Wilson, which manufactures diesel generators among other things. The company also has offices in Puducherry Their wives, Mercy Babu and Sonu Varghese, are employed in the National Health Service as nurses. Joseph had a two-year-old son, and Varghese two sons aged five and nine.

The accident happened when the men were returning to their homes in Newtownabbey. Six people, including bus passengers and the driver of the second car, were reportedly injured in the accident and taken to hospital.

The impact of the collision was such that the driver’s side of the bus was smashed while the car in which Joseph and Varghese were travelling was badly damaged, according to local media reports.

A pall of gloom descended over the Indian community in Belfast. “We are heartbroken at the sudden and tragic passing of Joseph Babu and Mathew Varghese. Our thoughts and prayers are with both the families and with the families of those who were injured,” a spokesman of the Indian Community Centre said.

Its chairman T.R. Puri praised them for their “helpfulness and willingness to join in the Centre’s activities.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala